Sunce Winery and Vineyard – Zinfandel 2007 , Sonoma County, California
Cost: $14.99/Bottle
It’s been quite awhile since a zinfandel impressed me to this extent. This Sunce Zinfandel really bowled me over. I tend to host wine tastings on Fridays in the afternoon… offering my co-workers an opportunity to taste wines. This event has now drawn folks with whom I work to bring their wines along as well to taste… and this one was introduced to me by a good friend and trader, named Mijo. This was utterly stunning. Initial notes of smoky oak and toast along with saddle leather evolve to reveal a luscious ripe raspberry and blueberry fruit which evolve again to include pie crust, graham crackers, and more raspberry jamminess, while always having that rather slight hint of leather and smoke lingering. In the mouth, it shows that ripe, lush fruit balanced with just the right level of glycerine, yet never being too sweet and with balanced tannins and acidity. This is quite impressive– and made from grapes sourced in the famous Russian River Valley in Sonoma. Worth seeking out, especially at $14.99 a bottle…. I bought a case the next day and opened up a second bottle with consistent notes. I would have no problems pairing this wine up with more expensive zinfandels costing in the $60 to $75 range, waiting to see eyes pop when it is revealed how this wine can easily blow the competition away. Oh my!
Rating: 94
= "personne extraordinaire"